Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Just when you thought thing cannot get any worse, apparent confirmation that the Egyption government is building an underground steel barrier that is 18 metres deep designed to cut off one of the few lifelines sustaining the Gaza Ghetto, the tunnel economy. The BBC reports that the huge underground wall will be 10-11km (6-7 miles) long, will extend 18 metres below the surface and will take 18 months to complete. The project has been shrouded in secrecy with no official confirmation from the Egyptian governmentI It is understood that the design is commissioned by US army engineers, at the request of Israel, Ann Wright surmises.The 'impenetrable' barrier is made of super-strength steel. It is bomb proof and cannot be cut. It will unlikely to succeed in halting all smuggling as it will force Palestinians to dig deeper.If this report is accurate, it would be a new low in the levels of inhumanity, absurdity and wretchedness to which the Israeli regime, with active Egyptian and US complicity, are subjecting the beleaguered Palestinians of Gaza.Egypt is a Muslim state but is indifferent to the suffering of their fellow brothers in the occupied territories. How does the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak sleep at night? It seems as the compassion has been sucked right out of his soul.Only a just political resolution will put an end to the tunnels.This Egyptian underground steel wall not be able to contain the survival spirit of the people of Gaza.